Canadian Whitetail Adventures
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Whitetail Deer Background
Our largest buck to date was an officially scored 204 1/8 buck (B&C score) taken by 78-year-old Erwin Brown (reported to be the third-largest buck taken by all the 4,000 non-residents who hunted the province for whitetails that year). Interestingly, this buck was taken after one of the worst winters Saskatchewan has ever experienced. One of our clients, Mike Williams, has hunted with us three times and taken two bucks that score more than 190 B&C points. The first—a brute with drop-tines at the end of the main beams—scored 191 B&C points, and the second had three drop-tines and scored 192 7/8 B&C points. Generally, if the weather cooperates by giving us a cold fall WITH SNOW, our hunters on average, take four bucks scoring over the magic 170 B&C points, but NOT always. Some seasons we don’t take a buck that large due to a bad winter or a warm fall. Still, rest assured, when you compare the number of big bucks in the B&C record book taken in Saskatchewan and compare that number with the relatively few hunters who hunt whitetails every year in Saskatchewan, that province offers the serious whitetail hunter the highest odds of taking a 170 B&C buck of anywhere in North America OVER THE LONG RUN. Again, that all said, I want to make one thing ABSOLUTELY CLEAR; unfortunately there have been and will be again, entire seasons when the whitetail hunting in Saskatchewan is very difficult and challenging to say the least. Because our massive bodied Saskatchewan deer exist at the very northern edge of the whitetail deer’s range, the success rates on big bucks can fluctuate dramatically on a given week and given season.
That said, some of our clients might see beautiful 5X5 bucks with long tines and thin antlers that are only 3 1/2 years old and that score more than 140 B&C points. These are the bucks we prefer the hunter not kill, they are the monster bucks of the future. These are not what most hunters come all the way up to Canada to kill; they are coming up to have the best chance in the world of killing a heavy-antlered B&C record-book buck! Our clients understand this and take great pride in our camp’s management program. It is their management program. They see the benefits over the years, and, though it might hurt to let those young pretty deer walk, ultimately it’s all for the hunter’s benefit. Odds are, over the course of six days, most of our hunters will see several bucks, and hopefully at least one of those bucks will be in the 130- to 150-plus class or bigger. One cold snowy fall, one of our most experienced hunters saw 10 different bucks that he felt would score between 140 and 155! But again, the number and quality of the bucks sighted will come down to what effect the previous winter had on the deer population, what the weather has done in the weeks and months prior to the November hunting season (the colder the better) and what it is doing that particular week. What the hunter sees will also depend on whether there are wolves in the area. Unfortunately we have no way of predicting where and when wolves will show up or the results of a bad winter; no way to determine how the deer are doing, other than putting hunters on stand and awaiting the results of the season. What we can do and have done, is limit the number of hunters we take the following year if we feel the success rates are not up to our expected standards. WE ARE ONE OF THE VERY FEW OUTFITS THAT VOLUNTARILY REDUCES THE NUMBER OF HUNTERS WE TAKE THE FOLLOWING SEASON if we suspect our area has suffered a die off. We have upon occasion, dropped the number of hunters we will take per camp down to 12 (although I am allowed to take 45 per camp) all in an effort to work with our clients to manage the deer herd and increase success rates on big deer.
In the end, no matter how hard we try, the hunter’s success will depend on the luck of the hunter, the winter the year before, whether a wolf pack has decided to grace us with their presence that week or season and sometimes whether the hunter is awake and alert or sleeping on stand!! Obviously, during the course of the season, all things being equal, while some of our hunters may have the chance to kill true world-class monster bucks, the vast majority will not. The best defence for a big buck is the hunter who tags up on a smaller buck! If you can hold out and not shoot the smaller bucks, (that's relative, because even our smaller bucks are big bodied) the odds will have improved for you to have a chance at a better buck. The average number of buck sightings on good seasons when the stars align, has been around three to seven different bucks per day. Of the deer you do see, though, hopefully there will be one that you will be proud to bring home. And there is the chance that the one you see is a giant! All that said, we are happy with whatever buck you are happy with and please come with realistic expectations. The big bucks are there, it’s the best place in North America (based on the B&C record book entries compared to number of Saskatchewan deer hunters) to take a big buck if you persist, year after year, but you won’t see a big buck behind every tree and on a bad week or year, not only you may not see a buck you want to take home, but it’s possible not a single hunter in camp that week will see a big buck. That’s hunting. In the long run, if you plan to return year after year to Saskatchewan, you’ll get your trophy buck, but again, be realistic and you won’t be disappointed. The camps are as good as camps can be, the guides and people are the nicest and hardest working professionals you’ll ever meet, our equipment is top notch and my areas are as good as they come. Enjoy yourself and have fun. With luck, the deer will cooperate and it’ll be the hunt of a lifetime, and if not, it’ll still be a wonderful experience. Lodging and Food Our accommodations are top-notch; warm cabins and lodges set in the Saskatchewan north. We serve excellent home-cooked meals, the showers are hot, the service always comes with a smile and, given notice, we can usually accommodate special needs diets. Terrain Our outfitting territory consists of two distinct areas. One we call the “Northern” area and one we call the “Southern” area. Both are vast areas have produced great white-tailed deer. My Northern territory encompasses 600 square miles of excellent whitetail habitat. It takes several hours to drive from one end of this territory to the other. Better still, monster bucks that have never seen a human are constantly filtering into my Northern territory. This Northern guiding area is so vast; we keep our hunters in two centrally located, but equally beautiful lodges; one located on the shores of Smoothstone Lake, and the other on the shores of Beaupre Creek. Here is a fact you should know before you book a whitetail hunt in Saskatchewan. The topography is the key to great hunting in Saskatchewan’s northern forests; solid blocks of black spruce and muskeg will not do, and are, for the most part, marginal deer habitat. Deer need pine ridges, valleys, creeks, lakeshores, willow runs and logging cut blocks to survive and thrive. My Northern territory has all of these in abundance. I purchased this block for that reason; it is the best edge habitat I found in Saskatchewan. Our Southern area is situated right literally on the edge of the Saskatchewan farm country and consists of nearly 200 square miles of perfect “farmland fringe” deer habitat. This territory is located directly on the borderline between where our American hunters can and cannot hunt, and our lodge there, located in the tiny village of Smeaton, is top-class. On the good seasons, the giant bucks roam the farm fields by night and then filter back for miles through the forests during the day. South of where you will be hunting, there is only cropland and super forage for the deer. Needless to say, this prime whitetail habitat holds some truly heart-stopping bucks! Hunting Style The hunting method of choice in the forested regions of the province is stand-hunting. Saskatchewan regulations permit baiting, and this has proven to be a very effective way to concentrate the deer. The hunter should expect to sit on stand for hours at a time, all day preferably. Properly equipped, any hunter can do this. We have a few treestands, but mostly our clients hunt from insulated tower blinds or, most likely, from one of our comfortable tent blinds that can be heated if need be. Our experienced guides will take you to your stand every morning and pick you up every evening. Every one of our clients has a radio, and your guide will be in contact with you during the day to see if you need help or have killed a buck. Mostly we use tent blinds which will keep you out of the wind and comfortable. Some stands are set up farther from the baits, and shots can be long, but for the most part are set for shots of 50-200 yards. Clothing Although recent fall seasons have been “cooking hot,” in Saskatchewan, the weather can get extremely cold and history has shown that the colder it is, the better your chances are for taking a huge buck. Once you send us your deposit, a complete list of extreme cold weather gear will be sent to you and we highly recommend you take our advise for gear. The longer you can sit in your blind, the better your odds for taking a buck of a lifetime. Travel Clients fly to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; on the Saturday before their hunt and stay there overnight in a hotel of their choice (we can supply suggestions in this regard). The next morning, Sunday, if they want, they can rent vehicles and drive up to the hunting camp, but mostly the clients are picked up by our guides. The trip is approximately 3 1/2 hours. At the end of the last day of hunting, six days later on the following Saturday, we have dinner and then drive the clients back to Saskatoon where they again stay overnight. Usually they book their flights to fly out on Sunday. If the client cannot make it to Saskatoon for pick up or if the client intends to leave camp early, after he gets his deer, it is best to fly in and rent a car and drive up to camp. We recommend this as it isn’t always possible to hire someone to drive a hunter back to Saskatoon early. Sometimes we can arrange to have a hunter driven back early, but there will be a charge of $150 USD for this service. Everyone entering Canada by sea or air, beginning Jan. 8, 2007, including US Citizens, will need a passport. All American hunters, planning to hunt in Canada or elsewhere in the future, should apply for a passport right away if you don’t already possess one. Guns and Ammunition Our bucks are huge-bodied, upward of 300 pounds, so I suggest rifles of .270 Win. and larger. Any of the magnums are excellent choices. Gun Importation To bring your gun into Canada you will want to get a US 4457 form filled out in advance (this is available at any airport which has US Customs offices and can be stamped for approval by a customs agent when you bring them your rifle to verify the serial number). Once you arrive in Canada you will need to fill out a firearms declaration form and pay $25 CDN to temporarily register your firearm for your trip. Please note that handguns are not legal in Canada and cannot be brought in. Dates The hunting season normally runs through all of November and into December with one earlier two-week muzzleloader season at the beginning of October. Hunt changeover days are Sundays. In terms of numbers of hunters per week, we have tried many different ways to schedule the hunters during the November\December whitetail season. We’ve tried early hunts to keep the number of hunters lower during the later, rut hunts and we’ve tried putting all the hunters into the camps during the peak of the rut. Depending on the year and our strategy for that year, there might be 3-6 hunters in camp with you, or there might be 9-12 hunters in camp. Trust in us, we are trying to give you and the other hunters the best opportunity to take big bucks. Choice of dates is determined by the date your deposit is received. Getting your trophies home Your trophy will be caped in the field, have the skull removed and the cape frozen. We can have your trophy mounted by a local taxidermist we recommend and shipped to you upon completion or you can bring an extra duffle bag and take the frozen cape and skull home with you. If you choose to take the cape and skull home with you, all risks and additional luggage costs are your responsibility (please check with your airline in advance as all of them have different rules regarding the shipment of antlers and hides). Cost (all prices in USD) $4,500 USD plus 5% GST (6 day hunt). Observers are welcome for a fee of $1500 USD plus 5% GST. Although we have never exercised it, we reserve to right to add a “fuel surcharge” to cover extreme rises in fuel prices between the time you book and the hunt date. Again, though we have never exercised it, we reserve the right to adjust the price of the hunt should the US dollar drop in value against the Canadian dollar below the exchange it was when you booked the hunt. Please note that if you shoot at and wound an animal, efforts will be made to recover the animal, but the hunt is considered to be over. Deposit A $2,000 USD deposit is required to hold a date and the balance of the hunt price is due August 1st of the year of your hunt. All deposits are non-refundable for any reason. Requests for date changes once deposits have been paid will only be honored solely at our discretion and are subject to a 10% processing fee. Refunds All deposits and balances paid are completely non-refundable in whole or in part for any reason including but not limited to: illness, injury, flight delays, unforeseen loss of income, early departure, late arrival, business emergencies, family emergencies, etc. Also, please be aware that any animal that is injured in any way is considered fatal and your hunt will be over. Included All lodging, food and beverages while hunting (including alcohol in moderation), transportation from Saskatoon airport to camp, professional hunting guides, and field preparation of animals. Not included Commercial flights to Saskatoon, hotel rooms before or after hunt (generally one night in Saskatoon on the Saturday before the hunt and one on the Saturday night at the end of the hunt), licenses, tips, trophy shipment or taxidermy. Licenses Approximately $600 USD for license, allocation, tag, non-resident hunter fee, processing fees and other government fees. All of the above can be purchased directly from us when you arrive. To Book a Hunt or for More Information Contact: Dan Goodenow |
Species
Before jumping on a plane destined for this cold province, the whitetail hunter should understand something about Saskatchewan. The whole of the province is not accessible to the American hunter; the southern farmlands where Milo Hanson killed the world record typical are for all intents and purposes, off limits. Is this a drawback? Yes and no. I was born and raised in Saskatchewan and OVER TIME and ON AVERAGE have seen the biggest bucks come from the forest country, where American citizens can hunt. Yes, there are large populations of whitetails in the southern farmlands, but up in the big forest, a hunter just never knows what might walk in. Also the hunting pressure is pretty much non-existent in the forest country. With such a huge forested area in which to live, the white-tailed bucks, GIVEN GOOD WINTERS, grow to maturity. Most will live and die without ever seeing or smelling a human being!
We would prefer that our clients only kill bucks that are mature, which by my definition means bucks that are at least 4 1/2 years old. Bucks in this age class will be heavy-horned and might or might not score well. In spite of what you might have been told or been lead to believe by the popular press, the average whitetail buck taken in Saskatchewan is very likely around 120-140 B&C points. They might be 4X4’s, 5X5’s or have a rack full of sticker points. They will look great on your wall because they are heavy and massive and our bucks can have giant bodies, weighing in at over 300 pounds.
Basically we make the number of hunters we take the following year, dependant on the results from the previous year. It is a reactive strategy, but we have found this is the only way we can manage our herd and harvest success rates on old bucks. The hunters who stick by us over the years, who understand the complications we face outfitting in Saskatchewan, who do not get upset because the results were less than expected on a given year, and who trust that we will do our best to produce big bucks for them, are the ones that ultimately end up with a world class buck.
